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    Home » main course » vegetarian » Secret Recipe Club: Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta

    Secret Recipe Club: Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta

    May 7, 2012 · 26 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Well look at that... it's time for the Secret Recipe Club again. Is anyone else finding that 2012 is whipping by at lightspeed so far, or is it just me?

    This month, my assigned blog was Rachel Cooks, which is written and photographed by Rachel, a mostly-stay-at-home mom. Rachel just did a massive redesign a couple of weeks ago (in fact, the blog was still called "Not Rachael Ray" when I first received my assignment), and her new digs look fantastic!

    Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta

    Meet This Month's Blog

    Like me, Rachel shares recipes for all kinds of dishes, though she add some other food-related content to the mix, including book reviews and features on other bloggers. 

    There were several recipes that looked like potential SRC candidates, but the one that caught my eye almost immediately was a Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta, which Rachel adapted from a recipe in Everyday Food magazine.

    I don't know what I liked best about it - the fact that Rachel's photos were absolutely stunning, the fact that it sounded like a wonderful combination of flavours, or the fact it looked like a perfect addition to a brown bag lunch.

    Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta

    How I Made the Recipe my Own

    As always, I made a few tweaks here and there.

    I used walnut oil instead of olive oil, balsamic instead of red wine vinegar, fresh thyme instead of dried, and added a sprinkling of chopped parsley and chopped green onions because I happen to think all lentil salads are vastly improved by the addition of parsley and onion.

    Next time, I might also throw in some finely chopped Granny Smith apples for some extra crunchiness, but it was still pretty damned perfect just as it was.

    Lentil Salad Ingredients

    The Verdict

    I ended up serving the salad on a bed of baby spinach to make it a little more substantial, with a few paper-thin slices of Niagara capicollo and fresh Montreal-style bagels on the side.

    It was just the dinner I needed after stuffing my face with Southern barbecue at lunch - satisfying without being overly heavy, full of bright flavours and crunchy textures.

    Plus it was healthy enough to make me feel a little less guilty about my lunchtime splurge without feeling like I was depriving myself,

    Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta

    Oh, and it's even better a day after it's made, once the flavours have had a little time to mellow and get to know each other. Totally a lunch-worthy leftover.

    With hot summer days just around the corner (hopefully), I have a feeling this salad might go into my regular rotation. Thanks Rachel!

    //

    Print
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    Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta


    ★★★★★

    5 from 3 reviews

    • Author: Adapted from Rachel Cooks
    • Total Time: 40 mins
    • Yield: 4 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A combination of sweet grapes with nutty lentils, crunchy walnuts, crisp fresh celery and briny feta makes this salad downright addictive. Serve on its own for a vegetarian main, or pair with a charcuterie platter for a light meat-eaters' lunch.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 ½ cups water
    • ¾ cup French puy lentils
    • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 1 ½ tsp honey
    • 2 tsp fresh thyme
    • 2 tbsp fresh parsley
    • 3 tbsp walnut oil or olive oil
    • 1 ½ cups seedless red grapes, halved
    • ¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
    • 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
    • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
    • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, then add lentils. Reduce heat to low and simmer the lentils, covered, for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and thyme. Add walnut or olive oil, and whisk until combined. Add lentils, toasted walnuts, grapes, celery, green onions and feta, and stir until salad is well coated with dressing.
    3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with some crusty bread and a glass of wine. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 30 mins

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Comments

    1. mobasir hassan says

      June 29, 2022 at 10:01 am

      You have made and described the recipe so nicely that really helped me lots. I am looking forward for more of such delicious recipes in future too.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Maria says

      May 14, 2012 at 10:35 pm

      Wow love the sound of this salad and that you used lentils with feta and grapes - that sounds like such a good combination!! I'm always looking for new salad ideas to keep it interesting, this sounds really good! Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
    3. Jen at The Three Little Piglets says

      May 11, 2012 at 12:17 pm

      I totally agree - 2012 has flown by! I can't believe my kids only have 7 more days of school left! I'm not sure I'm ready for summer yet...

      Reply
    4. Kim Bee says

      May 9, 2012 at 5:37 pm

      You got assigned a stellar blog this month girl. This salad is amazing. It would make even the likes of me want to eat salad. And you know how I feel about salad. It's that tempting right now.

      Reply
    5. Tiffany says

      May 9, 2012 at 11:03 am

      Sweet, savory, and salty... this salad's got everything!

      Reply
    6. Gourmantine says

      May 8, 2012 at 3:43 pm

      This salad has spring written all over it, perfect sunny weather! (and yes, 2012 is passing with the speed light.. way too fast)

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Lori Lynn says

      May 8, 2012 at 9:13 am

      Glad the recipe is no longer a secret! Sounds delicious!
      LL

      Reply
    8. Beth says

      May 8, 2012 at 9:06 am

      I'm hooked! This salad looks wonderful.

      Reply
    9. Beth Michelle says

      May 8, 2012 at 3:55 am

      What a light and beautiful dish. Love the flavors in it! Perfect for spring.

      Reply
    10. Stephanie says

      May 7, 2012 at 11:55 pm

      This looks so tasty, I love salads that have some sort of grain in them. The addition of walnut oil is a good idea

      Reply
    11. Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says

      May 7, 2012 at 8:34 pm

      BEAUTIFUL! I love lentils, but haven't had them in a while! Guess it's time to do break out the yummy things!

      Reply
    12. Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef says

      May 7, 2012 at 8:04 pm

      all those flavors together must be amazing! great src pick. :)

      Reply
    13. Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says

      May 7, 2012 at 7:42 pm

      What a great looking salad. Love all the fresh flavors.

      Reply
    14. sara says

      May 7, 2012 at 7:21 pm

      YUM, this salad looks fantastic! I don't often think about using grapes in a savory salad, but I bet their juicy sweetness would be perfect here!

      Reply
    15. Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies says

      May 7, 2012 at 5:29 pm

      Ooooh I love walnut oil. It's so fabulous, and I bet it really gives the lentil salad a fabulous flavor.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    16. Choc Chip Uru says

      May 7, 2012 at 4:22 pm

      This looks like a delicious salad! Grapes and cheese are best friends :D

      Cheers
      Choc Chip Uru

      Reply
    17. Lesa @Edesia's Notebook says

      May 7, 2012 at 4:13 pm

      What a beautiful salad! Great choice!

      Reply
    18. Mireia says

      May 7, 2012 at 3:54 pm

      I'm bookmarking it, what a great group to be in!! You get to discover sooo many bloggers!!

      Reply
    19. PolaM says

      May 7, 2012 at 2:41 pm

      This salad looks fantastic! And the pairing of lentils and grape must be delicious!

      Reply
    20. Mary Ellen @ Pâte à Chew says

      May 7, 2012 at 2:26 pm

      Lovely! I am always looking for new dishes to make with lentils, they are such a great ingredient. Great post!

      Reply
    21. Rachel Cooks (formerly Not Rachael Ray) says

      May 7, 2012 at 1:11 pm

      This is one of my favorite recipes, glad you liked it. Thanks for all the kind words :)

      Reply
    22. [email protected] says

      May 7, 2012 at 12:38 pm

      We LOVE lentils in this house and are always trying to come up with new ways to have them. Great recipe!

      Reply
    23. Erica says

      May 7, 2012 at 12:25 pm

      Holy goodness - yum! That sounds like a fabulous combination. Loving the grapes in there. Great pick

      Reply
    24. Gretchen says

      May 7, 2012 at 12:13 pm

      LOVE the idea of adding grapes to a lentil salad...can't wait to try that!

      Reply
    25. Ginny says

      May 7, 2012 at 12:08 pm

      YUM! I have been on a major lentil kick lately and this looks fantastic! Your photos are awesome. What a great post. Wonderful job!!

      Reply
    26. Mellissa says

      May 7, 2012 at 12:06 pm

      Great summer salad, I may need to try this with the bag of lentils sitting in my pantry.

      Reply

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    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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